Episode #14: Inconvenient Refugees #14 - Confessions

Mar,08 2026

<-#13: Inconvenient Refugees #13 : Leaders

I had a great evening with Cathy, despite my nerves about Amira knowing my secret.

It was bound to come out one day, but so far, I had dodged every question.

We talked a lot about our future baby, enough that we went to bed a little too late, and the next morning, it was Cathy's alarm clock that took her out of bed.

I couldn't find sleep again until she was gone to the hospital.

When I woke up, disoriented, I felt a presence on my bed.

"Genevieve, stop coming into our bedroom"

"Oh, who's Genevieve? She sounds interesting", says Amira.

I am woken up suddenly. I look, and I find Amira sitting on my bed, holding one of my kitchen knives.

"Amira? What are you doing?"

"Relax, Dave. This is only for my protection. I am a loyal person. I couldn't sleep at all last night. Your secret weighed on me, and I knew I was unable to break my promise to you. But then I realized something. When you struggle with your decision to hide the facts, you will only have one person to turn to, and that's me. And Dave? The only man I comfort is the one I married. Are you going to marry me? Well, I won't, so unless you force me as a second wife, it won't happen"

"I wouldn't do that. Force you to do anyhting"

"And yet, it will happen. So here is what I am doing, Dave. I am blackmailing you. Today, I am going somewhere with my son and my husband. Somewhere you will not find us. They are already safe, I will join them, staying out of your hair"

"You can't blackmail me"

"Oh, I know. You can have me executed. I know that full well. Which is why I will go into hiding today, Dave"

"And then what?"

"Tonight, I will come to your house and tell Cathy that you have something to tell her"

"Leave my wife out of this"

"Oh, I can. You have two choices: you tell her the truth, that you are the actual leader, and that poor Lydia is dead. Or, hear me out, I will mention to her that on the road trip yesterday, we began a sexual adventure, you and I, and that you decided to take me as a second wife. Let's see how she takes it"

"Amira, I would never cheat on Cathy"

"But does she know that? The genius of this is that if Cathy somehow is okay with that, it will explain why you rely on me emotionally. But I suspect she will freak out. "

"She will. She is pregnant"

"Wait, really? Wow. Congratulations. I was there last year. I wish you a lot of love. But Dave, tell your wife, and allow me to tell my husband. He will not tell a soul. It will be just the four of us"

"A conspiracy can work with 1 or 2 people. Not with four"

"Except that it's going to be two couples. Not four random people. Dave, you wanted me as a star detective or something. Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"It might destroy my wife anyway"

"Well, I'll be there to help you, and if you let me tell my husband, he'll be there too. "

I think.

"No, I will tell her. You don't need to be there. I'll come with her to your house when it's done so we can tell your husband"

"Really?"

"But let's make something clear. The next time you show up in my bedroom with a knife, be ready to use it, or I will"

She stands up and places it on our dresser. Yes, we have a dresser. Most people do not, but most people don't have meetings in the conference room with Costa Rican officials.

"Sorry Dave, I didn't know you enough. It will not happen again. But tell me about this Genevieve one day..."

"Minister of foreign affairs for the French Free Zone. She was a friend before we got here and doesn't respect boundaries."

"Well, for what it's worth, I hope we do become friends, and I will respect your boundaries. I'll take my leave"

But I stop her. "No need to hide your son or your husband. I will not hurt you or them"

"Dave, I sold this to my husband as a day trip before I start working tomorrow. We'll be back at my house for supper. I can even cook for Cathy and you"

"Amira?"

"Yes, Dave?"

"Thank you for this. I think I needed that push. I was feeling alone and often still thought about Lydia as if she were alive. But if you pull this again..."

"I promise, Dave. And I don't break my promises. If I could, this wouldn't have occurred in the first place"

She leaves, and I have to admire the guts on her.

I pace in my bedroom. The problem is that she is right. Of course she is. I certainly am not going to kill her or hurt her. I am a good guy...

So, I go on my day, but I am half there. I go see Giovanni, who is thrilled! Absolutely ecstatic about receiving 15 new kids.

"This will really help me, because the more kids people have, the more kids other people want to have"

"And you really want kids?"

"Dave, immigrants are great and all. They add to your numbers, and they add diversity. But natural-born citizens, you can mold them in any way you want, as they know nothing else. Most of these kids only remember the boat they were in. This is paradise compared to that!

I grabbed one of his interpreters and went to talk to them. To make sure they were okay. Everyone was following the dress code and settling in fine, even if the Italian houses are more like apartment blocks. It certainly beat the boat, and the refugee camp.

I find Victor in the power substation.

"Wasn't the inspection yesterday?", I ask him.

"Well, I had to make more checks"

"Ok, be safe, and make sure to come back every night"

"Dave, my wife is back home. I want to see her, you know?"

"Sure. Don't let Giovanni keep you too long"

"Thanks"

I left, but I didn't return home. I went on a walk around the French zone, not bumping into Genevieve, and then, in the British zone. Everything to waste time until my wife returns home.

I still make it before her, so I manage to be sitting at our table, when she returns.

"Dave? Already home?"

"We need to talk"

"Oh my God, something is wrong"

"No, not really. I still love you, and I want our child. This isn't about us"

"Oh, good," she sits down.

"Lydia got diagnosed with cancer. Stage 4"

"Oh my God. Is that why we haven't seen her lately? Dave, did she just tell you?"

"She told me when we immigrated"

"Oh shit. Wait, did she just die? Is that the big news?"

"Well, that's the thing."

"What?"

"She did die"

"Oh, I am so sorry. I loved her so much. She let us have such a wonderful life here. I wanted to announce my pregnancy to her soon."

"Well, she didn't just die"

"What do you mean?"

"She died 14 months ago, and I have been covering for her"

She looks serious. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"She made me promise! And I didn't want people to see me differently"

"Wait, so you inherited the free zone?"

"I did"

She lets out a sigh. "Wow. This is big."

"It is"

"Why today?"

"Well, Amira found out? She is a detective. And she wanted to blackmail me into telling you, so you would be there for me"

"Good for her. Wait, blackmail how?"

"She wanted to tell you that on the trip yesterday, I decided to take her as a second wife"

My wife's reaction was priceless. "You? Seriously, Dave, she is way out of your league." and she resumes laughing.

"She is not"

She laughs even more.

"Dave, come on. I love you, but yeah. She is.", she says.

Deep down, I know she is right, because in reality, I don't really see women other than my wife.

If I don't see them, I can't even try to seduce them. The only reason I even looked at Amira was because of her skin color issues.

"But just so we make something clear, Dave"

"What?"

"If you ever take a second wife, you still sleep in my bed. I got your first", she says, standing up, getting closer, and kissing me.

But then, she realizes.

"So you own the free zone, right?"

"I do"

"Wow. Good thing we aren't after that power"

"It's why I told no one. I feel bad when I ask for favors"

"As prime leader, you could"

"I could. I don't. I believe in our experience"

"Naturist communism under the benevolent dictatorship of my husband", she says, smiling.

I laugh.

"If you take Genevieve as your second wife, you will not survive your wedding night, are we clear?"

I laugh. "Now that is a woman out of my league"

"She isn't, and that's the problem. Dave, she's in love with you"

I look at her.

"You are joking"

"I am not. She asked me what she could give me to open our relationship"

"Get out, for real?"

"She is insane. We like her as a friend, but she has issues"

"Oh, I know that. Believe me. We've talked about it"

"I like Amira after all", she says.

"Good, she invited us for supper. "

"She wants to make sure you told me. Smart"

"And she wants me to tell her husband"

"Brilliant. Ok, when do we go?"

"I don't know, now?"

And so, we leave our house, and on the horizon, I can see Lydia's mansion. By right, it's mine. It's been mine for over a year, but moving in would cut me off from my people. Isolate me in my own ivory tower, like Lydia did.

No, I'll leave her mansion unused. To serve others as an inspiration and me as a reminder.

That nothing good happens when a leader lives cut off from their citizens.

<-#13: Inconvenient Refugees #13 : Leaders